Dishonored

Dishonored is an immersive first-person action game that casts you as a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. With Dishonored’s flexible combat system, creatively eliminate your targets as you combine the supernatural abilities, weapons and unusual gadgets at your disposal.

The original Dishonored launched back in 2012 to much critical acclaim, with reviews celebrating its superb world design and the sometimes dizzying freedom with which the game's supernaturally enhanced assassination missions could be approached.

What do we do with a drunken whaler? - Slice his throat, or put him in a chokehold.

IntroductionDishonored is, quite truthfully, one of the most structurally sound games of all time. The world is filled to the brim with attention to detail, the gameplay is slick as ice, and the morality system provides a sense of purpose for a majority of the player's actions. All considered, it's hard to find anything legitimate to criticize Dishonored for. I do have some problems with the game, but they're few and far between among my uncontrolled approval. Let's explore why that is.

PlotIn Dishonored you play as Corvo Attano, the Lord Protector of Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. However, in a turn for the worse, she is assassinated shortly after the game begins, and you are framed for this - despite being the only one present trying to protect her. Jessamine's daughter, Emily, is kidnapped by masked assassins as well. Corvo is subsequently placed in Dunwall's city prison, awaiting execution for six months, until a mysterious organization orchestrates a path for your escape. Upon meeting your new allies they describe themselves as staunch loyalists, who seek to destroy those who took power after the Empress's demise, and restore Emily to the throne. To do so, they need Corvo's special set of skills. The sort that can kill a well-guarded nobleman without making a sound.

PresentationOn the exterior Dishonored is an admittedly visually dated game, but the presentation still has some charm to it. Textures, post-processing effects, and faces are all weak; and an ever-present eye-sore. Conversely, the volumetric lighting, emotive animations, and gritty art style are, aesthetically, quite captivating. The soundtrack is unabashedly exquisite though. Multiple scores position themselves seamlessly in the world-space. All other auditory aspects are high-quality as well. In my experience the game has barely any bugs too, and should run smoothly on modern hardware. Altogether, Dishonored is modestly impressive in its display.

World & AtmosphereGoing a little further than skin deep, the world-building and atmosphere is Dishonored are some of the game's greatest achievements. The Victorian architecture, steampunk technology, and draconian presence of the City Watch generates a uniquely repressive tone. Exploring Dishonored's levels, reading notes, and eavesdropping on conversations contextualizes the setting as well, exposing uncanny degrees of detail. Whether it's sickness due to the Rat Plague or crime from the Bottle-Street Gang, there are always events that make the world appear bigger than you. Dunwall feels impressively lived-in, increasing the gravitas of the experience as a whole.

StealthStealth is the hallmark of Dishonored's gameplay, and it's implemented perfectly. On a technical level the stealth makes sense; enemies have a line of sight, which shadows and cover can conceal you from. This system feels fair, and was not finicky at all in my opinion. Another positive is how conducive the level design is to remaining unseen - there are several paths through every stage, and with enough skill you can progress as a ghost for the entire game. Stealth attacks from behind allow you to get an instant kill, or strangle your enemies until they pass out. In concern to stealth, I have no real complaints.

PowersThe next central gameplay aspect that needs a mention are the magical powers Corvo acquires early in the game. They're gifted to you by a strange man(?) called "The Outsider", who occupies a mysterious position as both a devil-like, and god-like figure. The most important thing about these abilities though, is that they're fun as hell. Whether its teleporting rooftop to rooftop, stopping time and lining up crossbow bolts to kill three people at one time, or seeing through walls; every ability is useful and can completely reshape how you play. These are exactly the best types of perks to have in a game. Mixing and matching your use of these powers can make Dishonored an epic joyride indeed, and by the end you’re like to be nigh on untouchable.

Gameplay ChoiceThe last gameplay element I'm want to speak on are the two playstyles in Dishonored. If you so choose, you can touch nary a hair on a single person's head - or you can slaughter everything with a pulse (as long as they aren't central to the plot). Lethal and non-lethal are the options, and whichever side you favor most during a playthrough will determine the ending you get. Killing everyone in your way with sword, crossbow, pistol, or supernatural spell is undoubted to bring about a more 'chaotic' ending, while methodically tip-toeing through a room, incapacitating the occasional nuisance, will result in a more gratifying finale. However you play though, you're certain to have a damn good time.

Main Narrative & ConsequencesGlancing back at the main storyline, it's definitely an appealing one, but isn't all that complex or entertaining. The extent of the narrative is that you, as Corvo, eliminate several key players blocking Emily's path to her throne. There is some Game of Thrones-esque intrigue, and your choices can cause some variations within the story, but nothing too ground-breaking can be found in Dishonored's writing. I'm not saying the narrative is bad, it's assuredly serviceable, but the story is predictable; and gets overshadowed by the stellar gameplay. I enjoyed Dishonored's storyline, but it doesn't leap out as exceptional.

Black & White MoralityA final, more philosophical piece of Dishonored's story, is the morality system it utilizes. In essence; killing people is bad, and not killing people is good. This sounds naggingly basic, but the game is clever in how it goes about making you want to go on a complete rampage from time to time. Murder in Dishonored is plain satisfying, and Corvo is given several reasons to commit it in writing. Corvo is framed, slandered, betrayed, and wanted dead by nearly everyone around him - and the few friends he still has put a blade in his hands and tell him to go to town. The choice to end someone’s life or not may be binary, but your reasons to do one or the other as Corvo - are anything but.

ConclusionI had an absolute whale of a time playing Dishonored, and that goes for all 17 hours it took me to complete the main campaign. The game is critically acclaimed as a classic at this point, and I'd unreservedly concur that it deserves this status. Narrative development is weak in some areas, but the densely enveloping atmosphere of Dunwall paired with its impossibly sleek stealth-action gameplay, makes Dishonored a pleasure to play. If you're still wondering whether you should get Dishonored after all these years, then I say: "My dear Corvo, what a sad hand fate has dealt you." It's time.

Personal Rating: 9/10 - Absolutely Outstanding

Note: Dishonored - Definitive Edition is well worth the extra money, if only for The Knife of Dunwall and Brigmore Witches add-ons. They provide 8-10 hours of new, quality content.

Went through a level in KoD, no detects, no alarms, nothing, yet at the end screen it doesn't check ghost. As far as I understand, only people seeing you (the three pips flashing red) counts as a detect, right? At least in the main game. In this level, no...

This guide will show you how to do my favorite mission without killing a soul, including your target. It's fairly easy when you know some tricks.
Note that this isn't a ghost playthrough, but that should also be easy only if you are careful enough. This...

in the mission 2 where you need to kill campbell i saw in a room 3 guards having a fight and 2 of them were suspecting the third to be infested by plague .both of them starting coming closer to kill him and i jumped out of the shadow to kill the 2 off the...

Hi! yesterday I installed Dishonored since a very long time...
everything ok BUT a green lines or something like that appear with the shadows in all the game (intro, videos, ingame,pause menu...)
here a pic:
https://imgur.com/NeerzpI
https://imgur.com...

When I started replaying the game (my first playothrough without the issue), when I enter the inventory, journal or notes; or even when I am purchasing upgrades or itmes from Piero, the game just stutters and enters in a kind of slowdonw and I have to wai...